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for. 1.
Tunnel option for the construction of Sheung Shui to
Lok Ma Chau Spur Line 2.
Long Valley spur line now back on track 3.
KCRC seeks extra property rights 4.
Long Valley tunnel on track despite $2b cost increase 5.
Bosses named at piling inquiry
1. Tunnel option for the construction of Sheung Shui to Lok Ma Chau Spur Line
The Secretary
for Transport, Mr Nicholas Ng, today (September 18) announced that the Chief Executive
in Council had endorsed Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation's (KCRC) proposal to
adopt the tunnel option for the construction of the Sheung Shui to Lok Ma Chau
Spur Line project. The tunnel option involves replacing the viaduct section of
the proposed Spur Line in Long Valley with a bored tunnel. The 4.3 kilometres
tunnel will run from the north of Sheung Shui station to Chau Tau. The remaining
part of the Spur Line of three kilometres will continue on viaduct along the gazetted
alignment to the Lok Ma Chau boundary crossing terminal. Following the Appeal
Board's dismissal of KCRC's appeal against the Director of Environmental Protection's
decision not to approve the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report and not
to issue an Environmental Permit for the original alignment, the Transport Bureau
and the other Government departments involved and KCRC have been working on the
best way forward. It has been concluded that the bored tunnel represents a more
practical way forward compared to the viaduct as it will be more certain in its
environmental acceptability and hence the new EIA process can be completed earlier.
Mr Ng said, "We are committed to building the Spur Line project in an environmentally
friendly manner the soonest possible to meet the growing cross-boundary passenger
traffic demand and to ease the congestion at Lo Wu. The tunnel option avoids disturbance
to the Long Valley and minimises impact on the local community." "The bored tunnelling
method is a proven construction method in Hong Kong as this was used for the successful
construction of West Rail tunnels. KCRC will undertake detailed technical study
to ensure construction safety and engineering reliability. It will also undertake
a detailed EIA study and comply with the statutory EIA process." "The Bureaux
and departments concerned will also work with KCRC to ensure that the Spur Line
can be completed before mid 2007," the Secretary for Transport said. The 7.4 kilometre
Spur Line will cost about $10 billion in 2001 prices using the tunnel option,
against the original cost estimate of $8 billion. KCRC will fund the project.
It will not need any capital injection from the Government and the Spur Line will
still be financially viable. [Source:
Hong Kong Government, 18 September 2001] 2.
Long Valley spur line now back on track
The controversial railway line across Long Valley is going underground. The Kowloon-Canton
Railway Corporation's (KCRC) Lok Ma Chau spur line is back on track after the
government endorsed an alternative route that includes a tunnel running underneath
the prized wetland bird habitat. The new route is expected to pass Environmental
Impact Assessment (EIA) procedures. At a joint press conference with the Transport
Bureau yesterday, the KCRC released details of the new route. The spur line will
go underground just north of Sheung Shui station, pass through the valley and
resurface at Chau Tau - a distance of 4.3 kilometres. From there, it will continue
along a 3km viaduct to the Lok Ma Chau checkpoint. East Rail extensions director
Lee Kang-kuen said the new route would add $2 billion to the cost of the line
- taking the total bill to $10 billion - and would delay the completion date from
2005 to 2007. However, the tunnel would "completely avoid the surface of
the Long Valley'' and keep visual, noise, dust and other impact on the environment
to a minimum. The KCRC had previously regarded the part-tunnel, part-viaduct route
as impractical in terms of both cost and construction time. Secretary for Transport
Nicholas Ng Wing-fui said the new route "strikes a balance between meeting
passenger needs and environmental protection''. "After comparing the various
factors in terms of technical requirements, safety, impact on residents, such
as land-resumption arrangements, environmental needs and completion time, it is
considered ... [the] option in which we are most confident,'' he said. But he
warned that, with the completion date delayed for two more years, passengers must
be prepared to continue tolerating overcrowding at Lo Wu border crossing - which
handles about 230,000 people daily on weekdays and 300,000 on public holidays.
Short-term measures to ease the congestion such as expanding the departure hall
area and opening up more counters to speed up checking procedures were being considered
by the government, Mr Ng said. Mr Lee pledged not to raise fares immediately to
fund the extra $2 billion needed for the project, but did not rule out increases
when the spur line opened in 2007. The KCRC still needs to compile an EIA for
approval by Director of Environmental Protection Robert Law before the project
can go ahead. In October, Mr Law rejected the KCRC's original proposal on the
grounds that it had failed to consider alternative routes to avoid the environmentally-sensitive
wetlands. On July 30 this year, the KCRC's appeal against the decision was rejected
by a three-member appeal panel. Mr Law said his department was fairly confident
the option would adequately protect the Long Valley area. "We have no reason
to believe there will be any insurmountable environmental problems ... fundamentally
the tunnel option avoids touching the surface of the Long Valley entirely.'' Friends
of the Earth director Mei Ng Fong Siu-mei welcomed the new route, which she said
was the result of the government listening to different views. Daniel Lam Wai-keung,
vice-chairman of Heung Yee Kuk, which supported the original route. But he feared
the extra cost and construction delays would result in higher fares. [Source:
HK-iMail, 19 September 2001] 3.
KCRC seeks extra property rights
The KCRC has asked the Government for extra property development rights at the
Lok Ma Chau spur line station in Kwu Tung to help cover Long Valley tunnel costs.
Sources close to the Government confirmed an informal request was made to the
administration last month. The approach came after an appeal board ruled out a
previous viaduct option, forcing the corporation to embark on the more expensive
tunnel option. One source said the talks included more flexibility in the size
of the site or floor space at Kwu Tung station. This issue was raised for later
consideration. KCRC director of East Rail extensions, Lee Kang-kuen, yesterday
confirmed the talks, but would not give details. Another well-placed source said
no position had been taken by the Government on the KCRC request. "They have tested
the waters, but the thing has been left for further discussion," the source said.
A site comprising several hectares has been mapped out in Kwu Tung new town for
the KCRC station concourse. According to the original plan, the rail company can
develop the site into a station and a residential and retail complex. Legislator
Lee Cheuk-yan yesterday warned that granting the rail company more development
area could disrupt town planning and create congestion at Kwu Tung. "I think the
Government must be careful when deciding to subsidise the tunnel costs by way
of property development profits to the rail company," Mr Lee said. "Although we
do not want to see fare rises as a result of the tunnel costs, giving the KCRC
higher density may lead to zoning up of the whole town. A series of social problems
will follow. [Source:
SCMP, 19 September 2001] 4.
Long Valley tunnel on track despite $2b cost increase
The Government has backed plans for a rail tunnel under Long Valley, costing $2
billion more and taking up to two years longer than the defeated plan to build
a spur line across the ecologically sensitive wetlands. The proposal, which has
been endorsed by the Executive Council but needs further environmental impact
assessment, was drawn up after an appeal board in July ruled out the previous
scheme for a viaduct over Long Valley, home to 210 bird species. Under the new
plan, the 7.3km spur line will go underground 4.3km from the existing Sheung Shui
station and then rise to the surface at Chau Tau, where it will climb on a 3km
viaduct to connect to the Lok Ma Chau terminal. The whole of Long Valley would
be spared, in line with the mandate of the appeal board, Kowloon-Canton Railway
Corp (KCRC) director of East Rail extensions Lee Kang-kuen said yesterday. In
San Tin, where the spur line would rise on the viaduct, nine hectares of fish
ponds would be removed but up to 28 hectares of fish ponds would be upgraded nearby
in compensation, Mr Lee said. He also pointed to stringent measures to avoid underground
water leaking from drilling of the tunnel, leading to settlement. But the construction
would be complicated in the Sheung Shui section, where existing rail line would
have to be moved sideways to create space for the spur line tunnelling work. The
whole project is estimated to cost $10 billion and will be finished by late 2006
or early 2007, compared to a cost of $8 billion and a completion date of 2005
under the previous viaduct proposal. Secretary for Transport Nicholas Ng Wing-fui
said yesterday the spur line was vital as the SAR was seeing an average of 230,000
people passing through Lowu on weekdays and more than 300,000 at weekends. Several
improvement programmes such as the expansion of the Lowu checkpoint terminal and
increasing train frequency were under way to ease congestion, he said. The KCRC
yesterday would not be drawn on the fate of the spur line but noted that the extra
costs would be offset by returns. Director of Environmental Protection Rob Law
expressed confidence in the tunnel option. ''There's no reason at the present
stage to believe the tunnel would have any environmental drawback,'' he said.
Mr Law said a new environmental impact study would be required, but a permit could
be issued as early as the second quarter next year, when the Executive Council
could grant a final approval for the spur line. Green groups such as Green Power
and Friends of the Earth yesterday warned of complacency, saying although the
tunnel project would leave birds relatively unharmed it required tough monitoring
as construction might lead to noise and water pollution. Chief executive officer
of Green Power Dr Man Chi-sum said: ''The area is a wetland. The tunnel may seriously
destroy the natural drainage system." [Source:
SCMP, 19 September 2001] 5.
Bosses named at piling inquiry
A former deputy director of housing was named by a colleague yesterday as being
in charge of a Tin Shui Wai public housing project found to have defective piling.
Assistant Director of Housing Joseph Kong Churk-fan said: "If [I have to say who]
should be held accountable for [the project] overall, it should be the then senior
assistant director of housing, that is Stephen Poon Sing-chi." But Mr Kong did
not say whether Mr Poon should be held responsible for the piling problem in Tin
Shui Wai. He also told the Legco inquiry into a spate of piling scandals that
the then assistant director of housing, Chan Kwai-lung, was supposed to be responsible
for the Tin Chung Court project, from the awarding of contracts to completion.
Mr Poon, senior assistant director of housing in 1995 and deputy director of housing
in 1997, was Mr Chan's boss. He testified last week. Mr Kong said he was not involved
with awarding the piling contracts, monitoring the overall project or checking
the piling after completion. He said his job was to decide whether to adjust the
design in accordance with advice given by structural and civil engineers. "Being
the design team leader, I was responsible for the overall design rather than the
foundations," he said. "I am surely unable to monitor other professions which
have their own training and knowledge." The inquiry is probing problems at public
flats in Tin Shui Wai, Sha Tin, Tung Chung and Kwai Chung. The Tung Chung and
Kwai Chung cases involved sub-standard iron bars while the Tin Shui Wai and Sha
Tin cases concern defective pilings. [Source:
SCMP, 19 September 2001] |  |
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